Combined abdominal supporter and trousers-suspending device



Feb. 9 ,'1926.

W. H. VIRGIN COMBINED ABDOMINAL SUPPORTER AND TROUSERS SUSPENDING DEVICE Filed March 21, 1925 ZkIM ENMR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 9, 1926,

UNITE STATES WILLIAM H. VIRGIN, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

COMBINED ABDOIYIINAL SUPPORTER AND TROUSERS-SUSPENDING DEVICE.

Application filed March 21, 1925. Serial No. 17,283.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, lVILLiAM H. VIRGIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Abdominal Supporter, and Trousers- Suspending Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a combined abdominal supporter and trousers suspending device, and has for its object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a new, original and novel device, which when arranged in operative position with respect to the body of the wearer thereof, will not only support the abdomen in a satisfactory manner without discomfort, but will furthermore securely hold apair of trousers, when worn, in suspended position.

A further object of the invention resides in the providing of the device with adjust able means for suspending short and long waist trousers.

Further objects of the invention are to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a combined abdominal supporter and trousers suspending device, which is simple in its construction and arrangement, strong, durable, thoroughly etficient and convenient in its use, readily positioned on the body of the wearer, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture. f

With the foregoing and "other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications can be resorted to which come within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views Figures 1, Q'and 8 are respectively front, rear and side elevations of a combined abdominal supporter and trousers suspending device, in accordance with this invention.

Figure at is a fragmentary view, in rear elevation, of the waist band of a pair of trousers provided with pockets to receive the trousers suspending means of the device.

Figure 5 is a section on line -5, Figure 1, upon an enlarged scale.

Figure (3 is a fragmentary view, in elevation, of a modification illustrating means wnereby the belt reinforcing and trousers suspending elements can be adjusted relative to the belt to provide for suspending short and long waist trousers.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 generally indicates a belt of flexible material gradually decreasing in width from its center towards each end and of a length to extend twice around the body of the wearer. Secured to the inner face of the belt, 1, at the vertical median thereof, is a vertical reinforcing stay member 2, and extending upwardly from the lower end of the latter, at

opposite inclinations is a pair of stay members 3, 4, which have their lower ends overlapping and secured to the lower end of the member 2. The stay members have their upper and lower ends flush with the upper end lower edges of the belt 1, and the stay members 3, 4 are secured to the inner face of the latter. 7

When the belt is worn, it is arranged to form an inner wrap or band 5 and an outer wrap or band 6, which surrounds the former. That part of the belt forming the inner wrap is formed with a'vertical slot 7 for the passage of the end terminal portion 8 of the belt to provide the wraps 6, 7, when the belt is worn. One end of the belt has at tached thereto a loop 9, and the other end a hook 10 for detachably connecting the belt in position to support the abdomen, and said loop 9 and hook 10, when connected together are arranged at the front of the belt when the latter is in supporting position.

As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the belt 1 has secured to its outer face a series of spaced transversely disposed combined stay and suspending members 11, of greater length than the width of the belt, and said members extend a substantial distance above I the upper edge of the belt to engage in pockets 12, see Figures 4- and 5, formed in an overlapped flexible strip 13, which is detachably connected, as at 14, to the inner face of the waist band 15, of a pair of trousers. The engaging of the upper ends of the members 11 in the pockets 12 in connection with the strip 13, provides a trousers suspending means when the belt is worn.

To provide for suspending long or short waist trousers, means is employed to vertically adjust the position of the combined stay and suspending members, and such means is illustrated in Figure 6, and by reference thereto, 16 indicates the combined stay and suspending members and 17 the belt. Each stay member is formed with two spaced pairs of female snap fastener members, as indicated at 18, 19, and which selectively engage with a pair of spaced male fasteners 20 secured to the outer face of the belt 17. Ihe pair of fastener members 18 is arranged in super-poled relation-and close to each other, and a similiar arrangement is had with respect to the pair of fastener members 19. The upper fastener members 18 and 19-are spaced the same distance apart as the distance between the fastener members '20, and a like arrangement is had with respect to the lower fastener members 18 and 1-9. This provides for vertically adjusting the stay 'memberswhen desired. 7

A combined abdominal supporter and trousers suspending device, in accordance with this invention, can be used to equal advantage by either stout or thin men with stomach trouble. It eliminates the old type of shoulder suspenderswhich tend to pull the shoulders down and forward, and it further eliminates the; uncomfortable straps under the crouch, as these are not necessary when the device is held in place by the weight of the trousers as the supporter not only serves to'hold up the trousers but these in turn hold the supporter in place.

It is thoughtthat the many advantages of a combined abdominal supporter and trousers suspending device, in accordance with this invention, can be readily understood, and although the preferred embodi ment of the device is as illustrated and described, yet it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction can be made which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

lVhat I claim is 1. A combined abdominal supporter and trousers suspending device con'iprising a belt forming an abdomen support and provided with means for detachably connecting the ends thereof together, a stay member flush with the top and bottom edges of the belt and secured to the inner face of the latter at the vertical median thereof, a pair of oppositely disposed inclined stay members flush, with the top and bottom edges of the belt, secured to the inner face of the latter and extending from one end of the vertical median thereof, and a series of unitary, independent spaced combined belt stay and trousers suspending elements secured to the outer face of said belt.said elements of a length to extend from the lower edge and project above the top edge of the belt, said upper extended. ends of said elements adapted to be detac'hab'ly connected with the waistband of a pair of trousers for suspending the latter.

A combined abdominal supporter and trousers suspending device comprising a belt gradually increasing in width from each end to its vertical median and providingan abdon'ii-n'a'l support, said belt having means for detachably connecting the ends thereof together, a series of spaced, independent, narrow, one-piece combined belt stay and trousers suspending and supporting elements connected t'o'and extending transversely of the outer hereof the belt at each side of said vertical median and adapted to'have the upper termini thereof deta'chably engaging with the waist band of the trousers for sus pending and supporting the same, spaced pairs ofsnap'fastener devices secured to the outer face of said belt, and two superposed spaced pairs of snap fastener members sccured to the inner face of each of-Said elements, the members of each pair of members closely arranged together, the vertical space between the two pairs of members carried by each element being less than the vertical spacezbetween the fastener devices of the complementary pair of fastener devices.

WILLIAM. H. VIRGIN. 

